Remember 'Mr Wendal'? The band behind the early '90s hit tour SA in October.

Arrested Development's local shows kick-off at The Bassline, Johannesburg on 10 October, followed by a performance on 11 October at Club Galaxy in Cape Town.

A progressive rap collective fusing soul, blues, hip-hop, and Sly and the Family Stone-influenced funk with political, socially conscious lyric the group was founded in the late '80s by rapper Speech and DJ Headliner.

Arrested Development's debut album took its title from the amount of time it took the group to secure a record contract — 'Three Years, Five Months and Two Days in the Life of...' — and produced the hit singles 'Tennessee', 'People Everyday' and 'Mr. Wendal'. As a result, Arrested Development won Grammy's for Best Rap Album and Best New Artist, and were named Rolling Stone's Band of the Year in 1992.

The group describe their sound as "Life Music" and promote family, spirituality and "male responsibility". They define themselves as artists: dancers, vocalists, turn- tablists, drummers, and everything in between. Effectively then Arrested Development are a communal music community: Speech may be the most known member of the group, being the front man, but Dionne Farris, Eshe (Black Life), Rasa Don (Raz), Baba Oje (the elder), Nicha and many others have contributed much to their kaleidoscope of image and sound.

Right now Arrested Development are fresh out of the studio with a new album and headed to South Africa.

ITINERARY

Johannesburg
10 October 2008
Doors open 8pm
Bassline, 10 Henry Nxumalo Street 2001, Newtown Music Centre
Tickets R220 (www.computicket.com) and R200 (from the venue).

Cape Town
11 October 2008
Doors open 8pm
Club Galaxy/West End, Cine 400, College Rd, Rylands
Tickets R170 (www.computicket.com) and R160 (from the venue).